Udall, Heinrich, Torres Small Announce $750,000 to NMSU to Develop Clean Energy Workforce

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich and U.S. Representative Xochitl Torres Small announced that the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) has awarded $750,000 to New Mexico State University’s (NMSU) College of Engineering to create the Innovation and Commercialization for Regional Energy Workforce (I-CREW). The I-CREW program will focus on accelerating clean energy technology and developing a statewide clean energy workforce.

“This funding will harness New Mexico’s unique strengths as a state to foster innovation, diversify our economy, and create good-paying jobs in clean energy,” said Udall. “The I-CREW program leverages our state-of-the-art national labs, abundance of renewable resources, and strong commitment to fighting the climate crisis toward developing critical clean energy technologies while creating good jobs. As a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I’ll keep fighting for the resources we need to build a clean energy economy – and the workforce of the future.” 

“The transition to clean energy represents our greatest opportunity to create thousands of new jobs all across New Mexico — particularly in our rural communities,” said Heinrich. “Wind technician and solar installer are already two of the fastest growing jobs in the nation. It is critical that our state put real resources into training our workers for these clean energy jobs. I am proud that New Mexico State University is playing a leading role in preparing our state’s workers to meet our climate goals and compete for rapidly growing fields in the clean energy economy.”

“The funding for NMSU’s I-CREW program will be crucial in helping create and retain good-paying jobs, enhance commercialization and innovation, and support entrepreneurship in New Mexico’s clean energy sector. I look forward to our continued partnership,” said Torres Small.